What does your business stationery say about you?

Today we answer the age old question: what does your business stationery say about you? More to the point, we’ll be helping you get the right message across with your own stationery; making sure it contains all the info it should, is designed to perfection and is printed on a paper that gives your customer just the right impression. So let’s get started…

The legal stuff
Let’s get all the ugly legal stuff out of the way first. To make sure that your letterhead complies with legal requirements, you’ll need it to include the following information:

•    Where in the UK your company is registered
•    Your company’s registered number
•    The address of your company’s registered office
•    Clarity on the kind of company you are: limited, investment, etc.

If you need more information, you can find it online here—no one wants to get on the wrong side of the law. Now that’s sorted, let’s get to the fun stuff!

Designs
The design you choose for your stationery should translate smoothly from your company logo or business website; customers need to be able to make a clean connection between your brand and the validity of the communication you’ve sent them. It should be recognisably yours.

If yours is a company that has a more formal, professional edge, we’d recommend keeping the design simple and classic, without too many images or busy colours. Choose one or two colours from your company’s palette and use those to convey a more serious tone.

If your company is more casual or has a younger image, it might be a good idea to pull some of the personality through. Strong, playful colours, images and innovative use of the space are great ways to show dynamic thinking and to engage with customers creatively.
Top tip! We love adding a block colour or pattern to the back of the letterhead while keeping the front minimalist and simple.

Papers
Before you go choosing papers willy-nilly, you’ll want to consider what each paper type will do to the finished print and what your choice will say to a prospective customer.  This is where choosing quality over quantity really comes into its own.

Are you going to write onto it or use it in an office printer? If you’re looking for something that meets the industry standard, is suitable for both writing and printing on, you can find a gorgeously modern 120gsm uncoated paper on our stationery product page.

If you want something a little bit more tactile, stylised or downright fancy, why not choose a textured paper? You can find a wider range of paper on our leaflets and flyers product page—just select an A4 size and you have an instant letterhead! Textured papers are thicker than your average stationery, so you won’t be able to use them with your office printer, but for handwritten letters, they’re the bee’s knees and really ooze prestige.

If you’re going to go down the luxury paper route, remember that coated papers (like silk, gloss and pearl papers) won’t be appropriate—you won’t be able to write or print on them because the coating will make the ink slip off.

Have you ever tried creating your own Business Stationery? We’d love to see the results! Tag us in your printed creations using #ProudlyPrinted for your chance to be featured on our blog.

Why not check out some customer creations to get your creative juices flowing? Just click here for an abundance of inspiration!